Ukraine 0-0 Italy (20 Nov, 2023) Game Analysis،
Italy qualified for the Euro 2024 final after drawing 0-0 with Ukraine in their final Group C qualifier on Monday, although the Ukrainians can still secure a place until the playoffs.
European champions Italy finished second, tied on 14 points with third-placed Ukraine, but with a better head-to-head record after a tense affair that could have gone either way. in the other.
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Luciano Spalletti and the Italians finished six points behind England, who sealed their qualification after beating Italy 3-1 at Wembley in October.
Ukraine, who have never beaten Italy, had strong demands for a penalty after Bryan Cristante’s clumsy challenge on Mykhailo Mudryk in stoppage time, but nothing was awarded.
They can still book a place at a fourth consecutive European Championship via the playoffs in March. The draw for the playoffs will take place on Thursday in Nyon.
“Ukraine showed that they are an equipped team and they gave us a hard time,” Spalletti told Rai Sport. “Today we played a good game because in the first half we had many chances to secure the result. Then, when we didn’t succeed, the game became dirtier and more physical.
“They brought in more physical players but at that point they weren’t playing football anymore.”
The match got off to a lively start as both goalkeepers, Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma and Ukrainian Anatoliy Trubin, held their own in an entertaining clash at the BayArena in Leverkusen.
Italy, making their eighth consecutive appearance at the Euros, had the most possession and created more chances, but Ukraine remained calm as they looked to counterattack.
Italy’s Federico Chiesa had a chance to break the deadlock in the seventh minute, but his shot from inside the area flew narrowly over the bar before Donnarumma denied Ukraine the opener. score seven minutes later by pushing away Georgiy Sudakov’s low shot.
Defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo then almost nodded for Italy from a corner just before the half-hour mark before Trubin produced a superb save to deny Davide Frattesi.
Italy continued to dominate after the break, but Ukraine stepped up and Mudryk went close in the 66th minute, but Donnarumma made another fine save.
“We are very happy,” Donnarumma said. “We are where we deserve to be with all the difficulties we have had, but thanks to the new coach and the new staff, we are back.”
Under Spalletti, who took over from Roberto Mancini in August, Italy won three times, drew twice and lost once. They failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The European Championship will take place in Germany.
